Reapers and new lungs
by Sihaforlife
Summary: This is an independent follow-up to Raven hair and abyss eyes. It's going to be a collection of one-shots taking place between the Cerberus coup and the end of ME3, with Thane along for the ride.
1. Reunite

_Welcome to my new story!_

 _This is an independent follow-up to Raven hair and abyss eyes._

 _It's going to be a collection of one-shots taking place during ME3, BUT, with Thane along for the ride._

 _(As it should have been)_

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

 ** _Reapers and new lungs_**

 ** _Reunite_**

Shepard couldn't decide if she was pissed off with Thane, or incredibly impressed as she hurried through the corridors towards Huerta memorial. For god's sake, the man had gone through a life-changing surgery less than four months ago and had thought it was a fantastic idea to fight Kai Leng. Of course, the stupid drell had then taken a sword to his side and had been rushed to Huerta. Bailey had said that Thane was going to be fine, thanks to the medi-gel Shepard applied, the skilled surgeons at the hospital and Kolyat's donated blood, but she wasn't sure until she saw her lover with her own eyes.

It had been a few busy days for the commander. Pissing off a dalatrass, saving the rachni queen once more, disarming a turian bomb on Tuchanka, curing the genophage, losing Mordin and, as icing on the cake, saving the Citadel from Cerberus and almost losing her boyfriend to a wannabe space ninja. And the words _I told you so_ were beginning to run hollow. If they had just listened to her about the reapers, about Udina...

She shook her head as she entered the hospital. There was no point in lingering on the past. She needed concentrate on the present and the future if they were even going to have a chance at winning the two wars they were fighting simultaneously.

Before long, she found herself at the reception desk. The queue was long, a lot of people either needed medical attention or needed to find their loved ones. It took Shepard less than five minutes to reach the desk, but it felt like an eternity.

"How can I help you?" The weary asari asked with a forced smile on her face.

"Can you tell me where Tha- Sorry, Tannor Nuara is? Drell, stab wound. He's a regular patient here."

"Of course." The asari looked down at her console for a few moment. "Mr. Nuara is in room 4B. I can't tell you much about his condition, but ask his doctor, Dr. Weluo."

"Thank you." Shepard gave the receptionist a short nod before leaving to let the next person approach.

Running a hand through her hair, Shepard made her way through the packed corridors. Doctors, nurses and patients were littered all over the place. Fuck Cerberus. How could they do this? It was monstrous. Fuck Udina too.

As she arrived at 4B, she urgently pressed her palm against the large, green button. With the familiar, soft swish, the door slid open and revealed a rather spacious hospital room. Kolyat was sitting on one of the chairs in the corner of the room, looking like he had just bitten into a lemon. Thane stood in the middle of the room, bare chested. There was a large bandage on the right side of his stomach.

"Thane Krios." Shepard said and walked up to him, arms crossed her over her chest. "What were you thinking? Honestly."

He looked up at her and blinked with both eyelids in shock.

"What else was I meant to do? That assassin would have taken the councillor's life." His black eyes met her green ones. "Or yours."

"My god, Thane. I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself." She poked him in the chest. "Besides, he's with Cerberus! He has upgrades."

"I'll have you know that despite his upgrades, I stopped him from reaching his target." He grabbed her hand and gave it a light squeeze. "Though, I appreciate your concern."

Shepard sighed, all anger leaving her at once. It was because of the stress and the lack of sleep she had snapped, she told herself. And Thane didn't deserve that. He had indeed saved the councillor and could clearly handle himself, despite his recent surgery.

"Siha." Thane interrupted Shepard's thoughts as he reached for the shirt that had been hanging over a chair. "There is something I wish to discuss with you."

A low, annoying 'hmph' came from the corner of the room and Shepard looked over to see Kolyat give his father a burning look. Okay, whatever it was, Kolyat didn't like it. Shepard raised her eyebrow and turned back to Thane.

"I wish to join you on the Normandy once again." He said as he started to do up the buttons of the shirt.

"Commander, you cannot possibly agree with this!" Kolyat got out of the chair and walked up to the couple. "A war ship is no place for someone recovering from a lung and heart transplant."

"Kolyat, your concern is touching, but I can't simply sit here while there's a war raging. I need to do my part."

"I've just gotten you back, I can't lose you." Kolyat's nostrils flared.

Shepard looked between the two of them, wondering if she should perhaps leave the room. She desperately wanted Thane back on the Normandy, mainly to boost her morale. Being near him just made her feel better. But Kolyat was making a good point, though she didn't want to admit it to herself.

"...Should I go?" Shepard asked silently, gesturing towards the door with her thumb.

"Perhaps that is for the best. I need to discuss this matter with Kolyat." Thane walked over to her and brushed a few errant strands of hair from her face. "I also need to retrieve a few items from my apartment, if I am to join you."

"I wasn't going to ask..." Shepard glanced over at Kolyat. "But you are a grown man and if you feel you're up for it, I really need all the help I can get."

* * *

It had been such a long day and Shepard was tired into her very core. She couldn't remember the last time she slept more than four hours or ate a meal without reading a data pad or scanning planets for artefacts, troops that needed to be extracted, or other things that she felt someone else should take time to do. But it seemed like she was the only one in the galaxy who didn't have their thumbs up their arses.

As she took the elevator down from the CIC to the crew quarters, she leaned her weary body against the wall and closed her eyes for a few moments. Thane had sent her a message a few minutes back, telling her that he was going to fetch some things from his apartment before joining her on the Normandy, which was just what she needed. She needed a night of some Thane love making before going on with the war.

But there was something she had to deal with first. Kaidan.

She had agreed to let him come back to the Normandy. After he nearly died on her watch, she realised that she did actually care about him. Not in a romantic way, never in a romantic way, but as a friend. Even though he had compared her to a husk and had accused her of cheating. She just hoped that Thane joining the Normandy again wouldn't be an issue for him.

A little _ding_ came from the elevator as it came to a stop. Yawning widely, she stepped out into the dim lighting and did her best to avoid looking at the memorial wall. Seeing Mordin's name there still hurt. He had been a good friend, a father figure of sorts. He meant a lot to her and his death had left a hole in her heart.

Running a hand through her hair, she walked into the mess. Several crew members sat at the tables. Some where eating, some were drinking coffee or tea, others were simply talking. It was nice to see her crew at ease like this. It was easy for her to forget how many people it took to make the Normandy run smoothly. All of the crew members were a valuable asset to the team.

Kaidan sat at one of the tables, with a empty plate in front of him and a glass of water. Across from him sat Garrus. The last time she had spoken to Garrus about Kaidan, the turian hadn't exactly been positive towards him. But she hoped that would change. Everyone needed to work together to beat the reapers. Internal fighting wasn't going to help.

"Kaidan, do you have a moment?" Shepard said, deciding to get right down to it. She really wasn't in the mood for small talk.

The biotic looked up at her, then down at his finished food.

"Of course." He stood up and grabbed his plate. "Just let me drop off the dishes."

Shepard leaned against the table as she watched him do just that. She could feel Garrus' eyes burn holes in her back, but he didn't say anything and neither did she. They'd have time to talk later. Garrus was probably the squad member Shepard spoke to more than any other. After all, he was her best friend.

When Kaidan was done, Shepard silently followed him towards Starboard Observation, which he had taken for his quarters. They stepped inside inside and Shepard waited until the door had closed before she spoke.

"Kaidan, I'm glad to have you back." Shepard said as she took a seat in the sofa. "But there's something I need to talk to you about."

"Okay." Kaidan sat down a little bit away from her. "What is it?"

"Thane is going to join us as well." She folded her arms over her chest. "And I need to know if that's going to be a problem. I can't have a team that doesn't get along."

Kaidan leaned back in the sofa and looked out over the Citadel docking bay. If she had to chose between kicking Thane or Kaidan off the ship, it would have to be Kaidan. Partly because she knew how skilled Thane was on the battlefield and how well he got along with Garrus, who she brought on nearly every mission, and partly because she simply wanted her lover around.

"I'll never forget what we had, Shepard. And I'll never stop loving you." He glanced over at her. "But I understand that you've moved on and that you're not interested in me anymore. Working with Krios isn't going to be a problem, as long as he doesn't rub my nose in it."

"Good." Shepard squeezed his shoulder. "Thank you, Kaidan. It means a lot to have you back. And I care a lot about you, as a friend."

"Thanks." Kaidan gave her an awkward smile.

Stifling a yawn, Shepard got out of the sofa. She rubbed a hand over her face. Damn, she was so tired.

"Talk to you later, Kaidan."

With that, Shepard left the room. It felt good to have gotten that out of the way. Hearing that Kaidan still loved her made her feel slightly guilty, but she couldn't control either his feelings, or her own. Her heart belonged to Thane and she was fine with that. She smiled to herself as she stood in the elevator, making her way back up to the CIC. She was definitely looking forward to sleeping next to him tonight.

While she had been a deck down, talking to Kaidan, Thane had arrived. He stood by the galaxy map, with his hands clasped behind his back as he spoke with Traynor. The comm specialist looked a bit nervous, but calmed when she glanced over to the elevator as Shepard stepped out.

"Commander!" She called out. "Mr. Krios was wondering where to put his things and I didn't know where to put him."

"Is Life Support still available?" Thane asked and looked over at Shepard with that sweet smile on his face. "It was more than adequate the last time I travelled on the Normandy."

"Yes, LS is still available." Shepard said and crossed her arms over her chest. "And so are my quarters. Take your pick."

"It is hardly a difficult choice." He picked up his bag and bowed his head towards Traynor before giving Shepard a sweet kiss on the cheek. "As I recall, the bed in your quarters are more comfortable than the cot in Life Support."

"I'll be up in a moment." Shepard said as he walked towards the elevator, doing her best to ignore the blush on her cheeks. She turned back to Traynor, who was looking at her with a strange look on her face. "What?"

"I've never seen you blush." She said with a poorly withheld grin. "You can take on a reaper on foot, but being kissed by your boyfriend makes you uncomfortable."

"What yourself, specialist." Shepard said sourly. "And now, if you excuse me, I'm going to go sleep for a million years."

* * *

Thane was making himself comfortable as Shepard stepped into the room. He stood with his back towards the door as he unpacked his bag, placing his clothes in the free drawer in Shepard's wardrobe. She didn't have a lot of clothes, so there was plenty of room for his stuff.

"Hey." She said and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Siha." He turned around in her arms and placed his hands on her hips. "You look weary, my love."

"I've never been this tired in my entire life." She admitted before smashing her lips against his. "But we have some catching up to do before I sleep."

A low hum came from him, which she assumed was a sound of agreement. He steered her towards the bed and when they reached it, he simply picked her up. His strength always surprised her. And it was first now that she realised how much healthier he looked. His scales had a new shine to them and his colours were brighter. His eyes seemed to sparkle more. However, those thoughts were chased from her mind as he threw her onto the bed.

"I have thought of this often, siha, while in the empty and cold beds I've slept in over the past months. I've thought of touching you, feeling you. Even my perfect memory can't do you justice."

Why was it that everything he said seemed to kick her libido into action.

"I've missed you so much, Thane." She whispered as she pulled him on top of her.

A rumbling laugh came from him and he got up on all fours so that he wasn't crushing her with his weight. One of his hands went to the hem of her shirt and he pulled it up so that his rough hand could run over her pale skin.

As he moved his way up her torso, taking time to touch every inch, she started fumbling with his straps. The first one came loose and she got a glorious glimpse of his toned chest. They pressed their lips together once more just as his hand reached her breast-

And that was when Traynor's voice interrupted.

"Commander, I'm sorry to bother you, but Admiral Hackett and Admiral Anderson are on the QEC."

Shepard let out a groan and her hands fell from Thane's jacket. He sat back on his haunches and corrected her shirt so that she once again looked presentable, though her hair was probably a mess.

"Go, siha." He said and stood up. "I will be here when you return."

"You better be." Shepard got up and pulled her fingers through her hair.

After looking longingly on her bed, she pecked Thane on the lips and left her room. Anderson and Hackett better make it quick.


	2. Reunite Pt2

**_Reunite_**

 _Pt.2_

Though Thane had only been back on the Normandy for less than an hour, he already felt that his mood had improved. Of course, there could be several reasons for this. He was close to his siha again, the pain in his side was gone and breathing was easy. The feeling of restlessness that he had felt after he had received the transplant was gone. After Irikah passed, he had been on the move constantly. Staying in one place just wasn't for him. He felt restless, like a caged animal. He was used to working with his body, going to bed exhausted yet satisfied. That hadn't been the case while he recovered from the surgery. Being back on the Normandy and back with Shepard would change that. He was sure of it.

As Shepard was down in the comm room, Thane was unpacking. He had neatly folded his clothes and placed them in the vacant drawer. After that, he organised the toiletries in the bathroom. Shepard's items on the left side, his own on the right side. The fact that they had about the same amount of items made him smile a bit. He knew that she wasn't a stereotypical thirty year old human woman, he had never even seen her wear makeup.

He recalled when they had started packing their things to leave the Normandy after the Collector mission. One of Ms. Lawson's night gowns had gotten left in the laundry room and somehow, Thane ended up being the one sent to give it back to her. He had caught a glimpse of the amount of items in her bag for toiletries and found himself quite surprised.

Thane smiled to himself as his mind drifted back to the last time he had been on the Normandy. It had been such a wonderful time, filled with memories he could lose himself in. Memories of friends, excitement, love, stress, worry. It had been a roller coaster, but it had undoubtedly been fun, in lack of a better word.

The sound of the door to the quarters opening brought Thane out of his trip down memory lane and he poked his head out of the bathroom to see his siha walk into the room. She look positively exhausted. There were bags under her eyes and there was the way she moved. How long had it been since she got a proper night's rest? He made a mental note to turn off her alarm and let her sleep in the next morning. She wouldn't be pleased when she found out, but she needed the sleep.

"How did it go?" He asked as he walked up to her and stroke his scaled hand over her cheek.

"Fine. Hackett is going to send me the files on Kai Leng and hopefully we can poke some holes in that stupid armour of his." She leaned her forehead against his shoulder.

"Kai Leng?" Thane asked as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"The wannabe space ninja, who's arse you kicked." She smiled at him. "Anyway, enough about work."

Before Thane could respond to this, Shepard's lips were pressed against his. Her hands ran up to his cheek, caressing the soft and sensitive red frills there. A low moan escaped Thane. Even though he could remember every intimate moment with Shepard in perfect clarity, nothing could compare to being there with her.

This time, it was Shepard who led them towards the bed. One part of Thane, the part he normally listened to, was screaming that he should stop, that Shepard needed rest. But as soon as Shepard's nimble and cool fingers found the zipper on his chest, those thoughts were drowned out by a surge of need. He _needed_ Shepard in a way he had never experienced before, not even with Irikah.

They tumbled onto the bed, Thane's back hitting the mattress and Shepard falling over him. She smashed her lips against his and continued with undressing him. However, there was a pressing feeling in Thane's lower stomach that got his attention.

"Siha..." He placed his hands over hers. "I'm afraid I haven't visited the restroom since I left the hospital and before we continue with this, I need to relieve myself."

"Make it quick." She said as she rolled off him.

Thane got out of the bed and was about halfway to the bathroom before something soft hit him in the back of the head. He turned around to see Shepard on the bed, now without her shirt and working on removing her trousers. It was quite difficult for him to tear his eyes away as he made his way to the small bathroom.

He couldn't have been in there for more than two or three minutes. With a small smile on his lips and definitely looking forward to what was about to come, he stepped out after rinsing his hands and made his way back to the bed.

Shepard was now undressed, apart from her underwear. Her hands were resting on her flat stomach, her eyes were closed and her mouth was slightly open. The soft snoring that came from her confirmed what Thane had suspected. She had fallen asleep.

While it felt rude to wake her, but she couldn't spend the whole night on top of the covers. She'd get cold quite quickly. As he tried to move the duvet from under her without waking her, she stirred a bit and her green, glassy eyes fell on him.

"Sorry." She muttered. "I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"It's quite alright." Thane said as he got the covers out from under her and draped it over her body, tucking her in. "You need to sleep."

"No, I need you."

"Tomorrow." He kissed her forehead. "Now, sleep."

Thane had barely said the words and turned off her bedside lamp before his siha was once again asleep. Quietly, he moved to turn off her alarm and then he undressed. He should probably get some sleep as well.

* * *

When Shepard woke up, she felt strangely rested. The nagging pounding just behind her eyes that had been there since this war started wasn't there, her mind didn't scream in agony as she opened her eyes, which didn't feel like they were filled with either glue or sand. She felt fine. And she hadn't even woken up when her alarmed was set. Stretching out with, her hand went to the spot next to her in the bed. Empty. Shepard frowned and looked up at the ceiling. Had Thane gone up before her? What time was it, anyway?

She rolled onto her side to look at the clock that stood next to her bed and she immediately sat up, eyes wide. She had overslept. And not by a few mimutes. No, she had overslept with _four hours._

"Fuck, fuck, fuck..." She said and jumped out of bed.

Reaching for her wardrobe, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist, halting her movement. She hadn't even noticed that Thane was in the room until now. Annoyed, she attempted to shake him off.

"Look, Thane, this is nice and all, but I'm really, _really_ late." She became increasingly annoyed as he didn't let go.

"I'm aware. And I'm afraid it is my fault." He let her go and took a step back. "You needed sleep, siha. The others agreed with me. They did, in fact, welcome the off-duty morning from what I've heard."

Letting out a groan, Shepard leaned against the wardrobe door. She gave her beloved a hard glance. He hadn't even been a whole day on the ship, and he was already committing mutiny.

"I appreciate the thought." She said and started pulling out clothes again. "But you could have told me before I nearly got a heart attack."

"I'll remember that for the future."

Shepard heard the leather of the sofa squeak against the leather of his outfit as he sat down to watch her dress.

"Have you introduced yourself to the rest of the crew?" Shepard asked as she got out of the underwear she'd slept in.

"No, I have yet to do that."

The beauty of living on an Alliance war ship was that you never had to think about what to wear. Outside her own cabin, it was Alliance civvies, end of story. Especially since this was her ship and she had to set an example for the rest of the crew.

"Well, you already know Joker and Garrus." She pulled a clean sports bra over her head and turned around. "And you've met Samantha Traynor, our comm specialist. Then we have Liara, who helped me take down Saren, Steve Cortez, our shuttle pilot, James Vega, our resident 'bro', EDI, who now as a body, and Kaidan."

"Once again, it seems you have recruited an impressive team."

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Shepard slapped her forehead. "Javik. We a prothean in port cargo."

Thane's eyes widened a bit and he looked at her in disbelief. She couldn't blame him. If someone had told her that they had a prothean on board, Shepard would tell them to get off the Hallex.

"It's true. You should go down and talk to him. He's, erm, interesting."

She was now fully clothed and a rumbling sound came from her stomach. No wonder she was starving. She usually ate breakfast four hours earlier than this.

* * *

Introducing Thane to the crew had gone better than Shepard had expected. She wasn't sure what she had expected exactly, but it went better than she thought. Everyone was extremely polite towards him, at least those they had met so far. Diana 'battletits' Allers hadn't even once suggested that they should report that Commander Shepard's boyfriend was now on board the Normandyl. If she had, Shepard would have kicked her off the ship immediately.

It was no surprise to Shepard that Thane and Liara hit it off immediately. However, she was surprised at how effortless the conversation between the assassin and Kaidan was. And the meeting with Javik went, well, like all meetings with Javik went. The only stop left was the shuttle bay.

"So, what do you think so far?" Shepard leaned against Thane as the elevator moved downwards.

"I must admit, meeting Javik overshadowed the other meetings." The corners of his mouth twitched. "He's quite an interesting character."

"Yeah, you can say that again." She muttered. "He's a good soldier, though. But he isn't exactly good for morale."

The elevator came to a halt and they stepped out. This was probably Shepard's favourite place on the ship, apart from her own cabin. The smell of gun oil, the hum of the ship working, the banter between James and Steve... It was more relaxed that the rest of the ship.

"Hey, Lola!" James shouted out. The greeting made Thane's eyes narrow a bit. "Mako or Hammerhead?"

"Are you two still arguing about this?" Shepard laughed. "Hammerhead, hands down. That thing is epic. The Mako is just a puke machine on wheels with a gun."

"Hah, told you!" Steve called out from under the shuttle.

Next to her, Thane had moved into his signature position and just stood there, quietly. It was a posture Shepard wasn't too fond of. It meant that he was closing off. He went from being her Thane to the Thane that was seen on the battlefield. Discreetly, she reached out and brushed her hand against his.

"Guys, come and say hi to our newest team member."

James moved away from his work station and made his way towards the couple. His eyes went from Shepard, to Thane and then to their linked hands.

"Green looks good on you, Lola." The soldier winked before reaching out to take Thane's hand. "I'm James Vega."

"Thane Krios." Thane greeted as he shook the lieutenant's hand. "I was on the Normandy while she was flying Cerberus colours."

"Yeah, I heard." He rubbed the back of his head. "Just, so you know... There's nothing between me and Lo-er, Shepard. I just give people nicknames, ya know?"

"It's quite alright, Lieutenant." Thane bowed his head. "I assume your apprehension comes from a knowledge of my previous line of work. I've since retired and pose no danger."

"Don't worry, Vega." Shepard said with a glint in her eyes. "As long as you don't do anything stupid, he won't snap your neck."

Steve had finally managed to get out from beneath the shuttle and was drying off oil from his hands on a rag that had definitely seen better day. Once he had decided that his hands were clean enough, he walked up to the trio.

"Steve Cortez." He extended his hand. "Shepard's shuttle pilot."

Shepard loved Steve. He was a fantastic friend and a fantastic pilot. And the fact that he introduced himself as her shuttle pilot, instead of as the Normandy's shuttle pilot was quite flattering.

"It's good that you're here." Steve continued. "Perhaps you can make her care about her own baseline needs. Like, food and sleep."

"Okay, back to work everybody!" Shepard called out in an attempt to stop the two men from making plans on how to make her care for herself. "Who knows when we're needed again."


	3. Sparring

_**Sparring**_

As per usual, the mess was bustling with activity. No matter the time of the day, there were always people there. The Normandy was a pretty relaxed war ship, all things considered. So, if someone felt like sleeping in and not eating breakfast until ten in the morning, so be it. Unless the post they usually manned was left vacant, of course. In that case, there was no reason for not being at your post when you were supposed to. And Shepard wasn't going to let anyone get away from doing their part

Shepard was sat with Thane, James and Garrus at one of the mess tables. James and Shepard had a large cups of coffee infront of them, Garrus had some kind of turian energy drink, and Thane had his signature cup of herbal tea. Shepard had recently learned that drell couldn't process caffeine properly, so even a small amount could make them ill, hence the herbal tea.

"-so, he jumps out of the vent and kills four guys _with his hands_." Garrus gestured wildly. "And then he starts praying for himself before rambling on about actions or something."

"Actually, he killed two guys with a gun." Shepard corrected while James looked at the three of them, eyes wide. "I've seen him snap a krogan's neck with his bare hands. Pretty impressive. And this was when you had, what, forty percent lung capacity?"

Thane had what could only be described as a sheepish look on his face. It was safe to assume that he wasn't used to having his actions discussed to casually. Shepard wrapped her arm around his shoulders and pulled him close.

"But he's actually a big ol' softie, once you get under his scales." She glanced around the room before giving Thane a quick peck on the cheek.

"Siha, I would prefer it if we didn't reveal my previous profession to the whole ship." Thane said quietly. "It might make them uncomfortable around me."

"Siha?" James interrupted before Shepard could answer. "I thought your name was Ripley."

"It's one of the warri-"

"It's a nickname." Shepard cut Thane off. She suspected James wouldn't understand the sentiment. "A drell word"

"Well, that's just too cute, Ezio."

Ezio. Shepard tried to disguise a laugh by coughing, but she was pretty sure it didn't fool anyone. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Thane and Garrus give each other a questioning look.

"Ezio is an assassin from an old video game." She explained when she had composed herself. "An awesome video game, I might had. Also, Thane would whoop Ezio's arse any day of the week."

James shook his head wildly.

"I doubt he could jump from a church down into a pile of hay without breaking every bone in his body."

"Yes, that's because Assassin's Creed is a _video game_." Shepard explained before draining her cup of coffee.

"Then how about Corvo? He has the powers the Outsider gave him."

"Once again, that's a video game. And Thane has biotics. It's about the same thing."

The two aliens at the table looked utterly bewildered as the humans discussed almost two hundred year old video games. Shepard wasn't sure if video games were as popular in turian or drell culture as they were in human culture. And the thought of Thane crouched in front of a screen, cussing out someone for killing him almost made her burst into laughter.

"Okay, lizard man." James stood up. "You, me, shuttle bay. We're going to see what's what."

* * *

A surprising number of people gathered in the shuttle bay to watch the impending sparring match between James and Thane. Shepard had to admit that she was a bit nervous. She didn't doubt Thane's abilities, but he looked positively _tiny_ next to James' massive frame. And she was well aware the the lieutenant packed a mean punch.

"Let's not get anyone injured." She said as she sat down on a crate, next to Steve.

"Don't worry, Lola." James grinned at her. "I'll go easy on him."

"Yeah, I wasn't talking to you, James."

"Not to worry, siha. Your lieutenant will be in fighting shape once this is over." Thane said he removed his jacket to allow himself to move more freely, giving the audience a lovely view of his shaped arms.

The men got ready, positioning themselves on the soft mats they had put down in order to minimise the risk of injury. But then again, Chakwas was getting pretty bored up in the medbay, when she had nothing to do except drink Serrice Ice Brandy and chat with Adams.

"Alright, no injuries, no playing dirty as in kicks to the groin, no biotics and when I call stop, you stop." Garrus said and looked between the men.

Garrus was acting as referee for this whole thing. Shepard had been disqualified from the job because she was deemed as biased. Which was true, if she was honest.

"Understood." Thane said as he took his position and bowed towards James.

"Begin!" Garrus stepped away.

It turned out Shepard didn't need to worry. While James had pure strength behind his punches, he was no match for Thane's agility. The drell dodged every punch, landing his own in strategic places. He avoided the best places for incapacitating someone, like the solar plexus or the throat. After all, he wasn't trying to kill James.

After a few minutes of Thane dodging and James throwing punches, sweat started appearing on the human's brow. His punches were also becoming more and more frustrated. During the whole match, he had managed to only land one punch and it was a complete accident. Thane, however, had landed several punches. He was a master in the ring with his agile style. And it was clear what he was doing. He was tiring James out, waiting for him to become unable to defend himself properly.

When James let out a frustrated grunt, Thane leapt into action. Instead of keeping distance between himself and James, he was suddenly all over him. Somehow, he was still dodging the lieutenant's attacks.

Suddenly, Shepard wasn't sure how it happened, but James was on his stomach on the mat. Thane had a knee on the small of his back and held his arms down. Apart from the rising and falling of his chest, the drell looked completely composed. James, on the other hand, didn't look composed. He was squirming and letting out small sounds of frustration. A bead of sweat ran down his temple.

Thane got up from the floor, brushed off his knees and then offered James a hand up. Only Thane would beat the shit out of someone and then offer to help them up. James accepted the hand and pulled himself onto his feet.

"Are you alright?" Thane asked gently.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"That was more satisfying that it should have been." Steve muttered and grinned.

James sank down onto a crate and crossed his arms over his chest. This was a man who wasn't used to getting put in his place.

"Why don't you give it a go, Lola?" He asked, still looking a bit pissed. "I think Ezio would love beating the shit out of his girlfriend."

"Nah, I'm good." Shepard shook her head.

"Oh, come on!" Steve gave her back a friendly slap.

With a small smile on his lips, Thane looked at Shepard. He had his hands behind his back and looked as calm as ever. A sigh escaped Shepard and she shook her head as she got up from the crate.

"Fine." She said as she removed her hoodie.

A loud cheering broke out in the shuttle bay and bounced between the metal walls. Shepard didn't notice until now that Liara had joined the crowd as well, along with Traynor. _No pressure, Shep._ Shepard thought to herself as she took her place on the mat. _You're the commander. You can't have your arse handed to you._

"Don't hold back." Shepard said with a wink.

"You, of all people, should know that I never hold back, siha." Thane said with a blank face, as if he just hadn't made a comment about their sex life.

Shepard felt her cheeks heat up and she cleared her throat as some snickers broke out from the crowd. What had happened to Thane while she was on Earth? He was just so... Relaxed. Happy. She certainly wasn't complaining.

"Alright, same rules." Garrus announced. "Begin!"

This match was different from the match between Thane and James. Shepard was more like Thane in her fighting style. She lacked the pure strength and relied on tactics, along with stamina. But it didn't take long before they both realised that a defensive tactic wasn't going to cut it here. They needed to go on the offensive if this match was ever going to end.

It was brutal. They were both great at hand-to-hand and while they were both unwilling to put real power behind their punches, they managed to land some pretty nasty ones. The match was a blur of dodges, punches and growls. Though, the latter mostly came from Shepard. Due to Thane's insane speed, she had started relying mostly on instinct, rather than tactics.

Shepard was the first one to crack and grow frustrated enough to turn up the heat. Her fist collided with Thane's stomach, causing him to let out a low _oof_ as the air went out of him. She took this opportunity to throw him onto the mat, in hopes of ending this match. Her t-shirt was soaked in sweat at this point.

But Thane was back on his feet before Shepard could even react. He took her vulnerable position and used it to send her face-down into the mat.

His arms had wrapped around her chest and he kept her from colliding too harshly with the ground. But it was still hard enough to get her winded. As she was struggling to regain her breath, Thane grabbed her wrists and pinned them behind her back as he straddled her waist.

"I must admit..." He said without getting up. "I feared you had me there for a while."

"That makes me feel better about me losing!" James hollered.

"Shut up, lieutenant." She craned her neck to shoot James a hard glare. "And, Thane, you can get off me now."

However, before Thane stood up, he bent over to press a burning kiss against the nape of her neck. Much too soon, he removed his lips and jumped back onto his feet. He pulled her up and to her surprise, he pulled her against his chest.

"I have been away from you for too long, siha." His voice was low enough for the rest of the room to hear. "Every moment I get to spend with you is a blessing and I will cherish them in any way I can."

Shepard was blushing again now. His words were so sweet and he sounded so sincere.

"I love you." He whispered before letting go of her.

Shell-shocked at the public display of affection, Shepard just smiled dumbly at Thane as he retrieved his jacket. It wasn't until Donnelly let out a barely contained laugh that she was brought back into reality.


	4. A quiet night

_As a heads up, there's some smut in this chapter!_

* * *

 ** _A quiet night_**

Shepard threw her datapad onto the sofa in annoyance and let out a huff. Folding her arms over her chest, she leaned back against the leather and glared at her lamp, as if it was the root to all of her problems.

Hackett had told her that the quarians were willing to talk, but she hadn't been able to get in touch with any of the admirals, or Tali. The rumours that floated around of something going on at Perseus Veil wasn't exactly helping either. For all she knew, the reapers could already be there and the quarians could have been wiped out. But she shook her head, forcing the thought out of her mind. She shouldn't think like that.

"What bothers you, siha?" Thane's calm voice came from the left of her.

He was standing in the middle of the room, bare chested and was moving his limbs in a slow, controlled way. It reminded her a bit of the videos she had seen of Ashtanga yoga. His skin shimmered in the light from the fish tank as he moved through the exercises. She knew that it was harder than it looked. Shepard remembered how a roommate of hers tried to teach her the finer points of yoga, but Shepard hadn't even gotten through one session before giving up. She didn't have the patience.

"I can't raise the quarians." She said, unable to take his eyes off him. "What are you doing?"

"It's something the hanars taught me." He said, not stopping with his exercises. "The purpose is to keep your body and mind limber, flexible, adaptive and calm. It is not something that can be rushed."

It occurred to Shepard that she had never asked Thane how it was to be trained by the hanar. She was suddenly overcome with curiosity.

"If it's okay to ask..." She folded her legs beneath her. "How was it like to be trained by the hanar?"

The answer didn't come immediately. Either it was because Thane was thinking about what to say or it was because he was going through a series of exercises that looked extremely hard.

"It was difficult." He said eventually and let out a long breath as he straightened up a bit. "There wasn't a day when I didn't fall into bed with my muscles aching and with my head pounding from unbroken focus for hours. Much was expected of me. Failures and mistakes were not tolerated. One wrong step, one missed shot and there were consequences."

"What do you mean?" Shepard frowned. "Did they hurt you?"

"I've given you the wrong idea. I was never hurt, physically or mentally, by my instructors. They simply had me start from the beginning of whatever it was I failed at." He bent over and placed his hands on his calves, his forehead nearly touching his shins. "Imagine writing a book. But with every misspelled word, you had to start over."

"Damn." Shepard muttered. "Sounds rough."

Thane straightened up and stretched out his slender body. He bent backwards a bit, his arms outstretched. After holding that position for nearly a minute, he relaxed and allowed his arms to fall by his sides. He seemed as calm as ever as he walked over to sit next to Shepard.

"It was, in the beginning." He continued. "But as my body and mind crew stronger, the exercises became easier to master in a shorter time."

Shepard leaned against him and traced a finger over one of the dark stripes on his arm. The texture of his skin always surprised her. It was rough, but not unpleasantly so. She couldn't think of anything to compare it to. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before.

"What kind of things did you have to do?"

"A wide variety of tasks." The back of his hand brushed against her cheek. "For example, I had to stand on one foot and bare chested on a thin pole while the waves crashed around me."

At this, Shepard frowned. She knew that Thane started his training at six and the image that flashed before her eyes of a very young Thane standing in the middle of a storming sea made her heart clench a bit. It must have been difficult for him and for his parents. How could his parents agree to doing that to their son?

"What did your parents think?" She asked and tilted her head.

His eyes fluttered away from hers for a bit and fixed on the fish in the tank. Ouch, bad subject. She had never heard him mention his parents, apart from when he told her about the compact. It never occurred to her that it could be a sensitive subject and she felt a bit guilty about that. Sometimes, she wondered how the hell she had friends. She was very good at shoving her foot into her mouth. She was just about to apologise when Thane spoke.

"They didn't know. When they turned me into the hanar's care, all contact between us seized. I'm unsure if they knew what the hanar needed me for. I-"

A familiar, vacant expression appeared on his face as he slipped into solipsism.

" _'I love you, Thane.' she says as she holds me close, her silver scales glistening from the rain. As she lets me go, father approaches, his eyes serious. 'Make us proud.' His large hand pats my shoulder. 'Come, little one.' A voice sings from behind me. 'This one will take care of you now.' They start to leave. 'Mother!' I cry out._ "

Shepard squeezed Thane's hand, forcing him back to the present. There's a strange look on his face and he shook his head.

"You okay?" Shepard asked and ran her finger over his cheek.

"Erm, yes." He looked down at their linked hands. "I haven't thought about that for a long time."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you remember that."

There was a small, sad smile on Thane's face as he scooted closer to Shepard and placed his head on her shoulder. His free hand traced over the faint, blue lines on the back of her hand and then over one of the many scars on her arms. The particular one he was touching now came from her N7 training. She laughed silently, which caused him to look up with a raised an eyebrow.

"And I thought N7 training was hard." She shook her head.

"From what I've heard, it's quite intense."

"Well, yeah. But I never had to stand in the middle of the sea on one foot." She thought back to the tasks she'd gone through during the N7 training. "One of the firsts tasks I had to do was navigate my way back to civilisation just using the stars after having been dropped in the middle of nowhere on Mars. I had limited amounts of food, water and oxygen. There are also frequent storms on Mars that you don't want to be trapped in."

He looked up at her with a sceptical look on his face.

"And how many soldiers lost their lives during this exercise?"

"None. They monitored our vitals and our reserves. If anyone would run out of oxygen, food or water, they'd be extracted, but kicked out of the program."

A short laugh came from Shepard.

"You're probably going to think I'm insane, but I liked the training. It was exciting, challenging."

"In that case, I am as insane as you are." He smiled at her and moved up to press a kiss on her lips.

Shepard chuckled and ran her tongue over his bottom lip. He quickly parted his lips and allowed her tongue to entry. The kiss quickly turned passionate and intense. His hands went to her hips and he tugged her closer to him. Her hands went to the sensitive folds on his neck and she trailed her fingers over them, drawing a low moan from him. With surprising strength, he lifted her into his lap before standing up, a secure grip on her thighs. Shepard wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.

They hadn't had time to be intimate yet. Sure, there had been kisses, hand holding, killing reapers, and other romantic gestures, but there hadn't been any sex. She wanted to feel his alien skin against her own, to hear him whisper her name into her ear, to feel him moving with her.

"I need you." She whispered against his lips as he let her come up for air.

Without answering, Thane gently placed her on the bed and hovered above her. He cocked his head to the side and just looked at her, smiling. His hand brushed against her hair and he dipped his head down to press a short kiss on her lips. Shepard moaned happily against the warm lips that she could never get enough of. The familiar tingling appeared around her mouth, but she didn't care. Sure, she'd have a rash tomorrow, but she didn't give a flying fuck.

Shepard ran her hands over Thane's bare chest and her fingers ghosted over the large scar. It rose above his skin and was such a strange texture compared to the rest of his body. She moved her fingers away from it and continued caressing him. But to her disappointment, Thane pulled away and sat back on his haunches. He glanced down at his own chest, at the scar.

"Does it bother you?" His voice was quiet and almost sad.

"No, no." Shepard placed her hands on his forearms and attempted to tug him back down. "It doesn't bother me. I'm sorry if I made it seem like that."

"Hm." Thane allowed her to pull him down. "It's not terribly attractive, I know."

"You know..." Shepard raked her nails over his back. "I don't care how many scars you have or how unattractive they are. I love you anyway."

"I'm glad to hear it." He hummed as he pressed his lips against hers.

They kissed deeply once again and Shepard snaked her hands in under his loose cotton trousers. She splayed her hands over his hips before moving her hand down to caress his hardness. A low rumble came from him, making his whole body vibrate as she did this. A smile appeared on her lips and she nipped at his bottom lip. She had forgotten all the wonderful, exotic noises he made. The hyoid bone, she recalled that she had read somewhere. That was the source of the noises. And that wonderful voice.

"Siha..." Thane purred in her ear. "I need more than your hand."

For some reason, this caused Shepard to let out a low moan. How did he have this effect on her?! The voice, thick with lust and the eyes, as mysterious and beautiful as space itself. She loved him.

"I love you." She breathed as she withdrew her hands and rested them on his hips instead.

"I love you too." He bent down to kiss her neck. "My siha..."

"Mm." Shepard started fiddling with the hem of his trousers. "Off."

A chuckle that she felt rather than heard came from him. Just like with turians, drell communicated with the help of sounds humans couldn't hear. However, this had never been an issue for Shepard. She could understand both Garrus and Thane just fine.

Thane somehow managed to wriggle out of his trousers without lifting himself of off Shepard. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks when she realised that she was still completely dressed. It seemed like Thane had noticed the same thing and started working at undressing her. Her t-shirt soon joined his trousers on the floor and she glanced down at herself, at the grey sports bra she was wearing. _Very sexy, Shep._

"I should have worn something sexier." She muttered as his hands slid under the compressing fabric.

"It isn't my intention to leave you in your underwear, siha." His eyes twinkled. Once again, she found herself wondering how the black orbs could express such emotion.

As Thane worked with removing her bra, Shepard started removing her trousers and panties. She grunted in annoyance as the stupid garments got stuck by her knees. Since her drell was busy with her breasts, she didn't want to sit up to remove the stupid clothes.

"Are you having some issues?" He said and ran his thumb over the soft skin of her breast.

"Perhaps." She admitted.

Whining as Thane's rough hands left her breasts, Shepard looked down at him with a hard glance as he moved to tug her trousers down the last way and drop them on the floor. Normally, he would take time to fold the clothes, but it seemed even he was too eager for that.

Once he was done, he pressed a warm kiss against the inside of her thigh. He gently nipped at the sensitive skin before moving his way upwards. Much to Shepard's disappointment, he avoided her sex and moved instead to kiss her lower stomach. Slowly, he worked his way upwards, leaving hot kisses in his wake. Shepard moaned in a mixture between pleasure and frustration.

"Patience, siha." He whispered as he reached her collarbones. "Sharing this with you... It's not something that should be rushed. I want to take my time, to once more feel every single curve beneath my fingers, hear every sound you make. And I wish to make it last for as long as possible."

While he talked, Thane sometimes stopped to kiss her several times. He moved upwards and by the time he had finished talking, he was hovering over her lips again. This time, the kiss was sweet and tender.

"Please." She said against his lips. "I want you. I want to feel you. It's been so long, Thane..."

He finally seemed to understand her intense need for him and he placed his head in the crook of her neck. His hand snaked down towards his hips and he positioned himself for entry. He was bigger than Shepard had remembered. And the bumps and ridges felt a lot better than she had remembered. As he slowly pushed into her, Shepard couldn't help but let out a rather embarrassing sound of pleasure.

Eventually, he was completely sheathed in Shepard and he stopped to look at her. She placed her hands on the sides of his face and brought him in for a deep kiss. This was just... Perfect. Everything was perfect now. She was with Thane and they were currently safe. And as he started to move, everything got even better.

The only sounds that could be heard for the next few minutes were moans of pleasure, along with whispered versions of their names. They had been away from each other for so long, too long.

Shepard began to feel the familiar coiling in the pit of her stomach when Thane suddenly stopped. His jaws were clenched, his eyes were closed and his breaths came in huffs. She knew that face, he was on the edge, but seemed unwilling to finish.

"Come for me, Thane." She ran her hands over the red folds on his neck. "Let go..."

And he did just that. He buried his face in her neck and let out a low, deep growl. His hips twitched a few times and the growl grew in intensity until his whole body stiffened. Shepard caressed his back and kissed his shoulder as he climaxed. The growl died down and every muscle in his body seemed to go limp at once. He collapsed on top of her, crushing her with his weight. Shepard didn't say anything, she just ran her hands over his back as she felt his heart beat along with hers. Yes, this was perfect.

All too soon, Thane rolled off her and onto the empty space next to her. He hid his face in his hands and didn't react as Shepard reached out to touch his chest.

"You okay?" She scooted over to him.

"I'm sorry." He muttered, his voice muffled by his hands. "I should have been able to restrain myself."

"What?" She said dumbly.

"My goal tonight was to pleasure _you_." He sighed. "Not the other way around."

"Hey, hey..." Shepard sat up and pulled his hands from his face. "Sex doesn't always have to end in an orgasm. You can enjoy it anyway. I did certainly enjoy it."

Thane sat up as well and looked at her with disbelief in his eyes.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, humla." She kissed the tip of his green nose.

"Humla?" He frowned.

"Hah!" Shepard poked him in the chest. "How does it feel to be on the receiving end, Mr. 'Someday I'll tell you what it means'?"

Her attempt at humour worked and Thane's face softened into a smile. He leaned over to place his head against her shoulder and he ran a long, green finger over the pale skin on her thigh, where a few red bumps started appearing.

"What does it mean?" He asked eventually.

"It's the Swedish word for an insect on Earth." She grabbed her omni-tool and flipped it on. After opening the extranet, she pulled up an image of a bumblebee and showed it to him. "It's a bit like you. Stripey and cute, but if you piss it off, it stings."

"I'm not yellow, though." He pointed out as he squinted at the picture. "Nor am I fluffy."

"Meh, close enough."

A low chuckle came from him and he placed his hands on her cheeks, pulling her towards him. They kissed softly as Thane ran one of his hands through Shepard's hair and she stroke over his chest. She just couldn't get enough of the feeling of his skin against hers.

And that was when the door to the cabin opened.

"Hey, Shepard." Garrus said as he walked into the room, his eyes fixed on his omni-tool. "I wanted to talk with you about something before-"

He looked up and immediately fell silent, his eyes going wide. Two of his best friends were naked on the bed, completely uncovered, and had been kissing as he walked in. Shepard felt her cheeks heat up from embarrassment. Garrus took a few steps back towards the door.

"I'll, erm, I'll be in the main battery when you have a moment." And then he was gone.

Shepard placed her head in her hands with a groan and Thane just sat completely frozen in place, still looking at the door with a panicked look in his eyes.


	5. Side Effects

**_Side effects_**

Thane's eyes fluttered open and he looked around the room. It was dark, apart from the soft, blue light that came from the fish tank. As his eyes fell on the mess of dark hair on the pillow next to him, he couldn't help but smile. What was it she called it? A rat's nest. Whatever she called it, Thane was quite fond of his siha's hair. It was soft, like silk and in the right light, it almost shone. Along with her pale complexion, freckle speckled nose and dark green eyes, she was nothing short of stunning.

When Thane had realised his feelings for Shepard, he was unsure of how to proceed. As he had told her, he had never felt affection for another species. To be brutally honest, he had never felt affection or attraction for anyone except Irikah and Shepard. To feel his soul wake up again after so many years was both frightening and wonderful.

At first, he had fallen for her intellect, her tactical skills and her marksmanship. However, as time went on, he started falling for her physical appearance as well, despite how different she was from drell females. The way her raven hair moved in the wind, the way her eyes glittered when she spoke about something that interested her, the dimple in her left cheek when she smiled, the freckles that covered her nose and cheekbones. It all caused Thane's heart to give a little flutter.

Now, he loved every part of her. Even the parts that she thought no one would love. Every scar, every imperfection, every dark thought, every fear... She was his siha and he would love and protect her until his new lungs were unable to draw breath.

Rolling onto his side, Thane had to fight an urge to run his hands through her hair. She was a very light sleeper and he didn't want to risk waking her. She needed every hour of sleep she could get. He worried about her. She was quite bad at looking after herself. Eating and sleeping was something she seemed to have little time for. She'd gladly step in front of a bullet to save a friend. The words self preservation appeared to have no meaning to her.

As he lay there, watching her chest rise and fall in her sleep, Thane felt completely at peace. Kolyat was safe and working hard under Bailey's command. Thane was in a warm, comfortable bed with a siha at his side. She had woken him out of his battle sleep, once more showing him the wonders of the world. With the help of her, he once more loved life. Every night, he thanked to the gods that they'd give him a second chance with a new pair of lungs. A chance to make amends with Kolyat, a chance to make Shepard happy. Apart from the reapers, everything was well.

"I love you." He whispered quietly.

Pulling the covers a bit tighter around his slender body, Thane relaxed against the mattress once more. He loved Shepard's bed, though he'd never admit it. The cot in LS had been alright, but he had never stayed in it for extended amounts of time. Shepard's bed was comfortable and he didn't mind staying in it for a while after waking up. Of course, Shepard was a part of the reason why he didn't want to get up.

"Morning." A voice rough from sleep pulled him out of his thoughts and he shamefully dragged his eyes from Shepard's chest to her eyes. She was smiling. "Like what you see?"

"Always." He purred and scooted over to kiss the little dimple in her cheek.

"Mm." Shepard cuddled up against him and sighed happily. "How long have you been awake?"

"Not long. A few minutes, at most." His fingers combed through her hair. "Sleep well?"

"Can't complain." She stroke over the ridge on his head. "You?"

"I've slept quite well. Having someone next to you is comforting." Gently, he nipped at her bottom lip. "You are beautiful, siha."

"I can say the same thing about you."

Thane moved his hands to her hips, pulling her naked body closer to him. Well-shaped bodies collided, as did full lips. Shepard's nails raked over his back and he hummed appreciatively. It hadn't taken her long to learn where she was to touch him to get a favourable reaction. As her hands moved to the red folds on his cheeks, he moaned quietly into her mouth.

He pulled her ontop of him. Her breasts pressed against his chest and he moved one of his hands to take one of them in his hands. Every time they had been intimate, Thane had mapped every reaction from her. He know where to touch, where to squeeze and where to avoid.

"This is a nice way of waking up." She laughed softly against his lips.

Though Thane was known for his patience and self control, he was now impatiently tugging at the hem of Shepard's panties. It earned him a low chuckle and a lick along the red folds on his neck. He shivered as pleasure rushed through his body and craned his neck, allowing his siha better access. While her tongue had been distracting him, her hand that wasn't resting on his neck had wandered down to his groin.

As her hand wrapped around the hardness there, Thane's eyes drifted closed and a low, deep sound of pleasure escaped him. It was too low range for Shepard to hear it, but he knew she could feel how his chest vibrated as he emitted the sound. Despite their differences and, although few, physical incompatibilities, they understood each other perfectly.

"Siha." Thane moaned, unable to keep silent as she squeezed gently. He did his best to not buck his hips.

It had been so long since they managed to make love. That night the same week that he joined the Normandy was the only time they had found the time to do so. Thane hadn't quite understood exactly how bad the war was until he rejoined the Normandy. There wasn't a day when Shepard hadn't been up for at least fifteen hours, working non-stop. But now, just after ending the war between the geth and the quarians, there was little to do for the commander. It gave them time to once more feel the other's body against their own.

"Siha." He repeated. "I have not been touched in a while. If you continue your ministrations, I'm unsure how long I'll last."

Even though Shepard withdrew her hand at his request, he was left with conflicting emotions. While he wanted to draw this out as much as possible, he also missed the pleasure. His siha's now free hand came to rest on his hip and she kissed him deeply. The feel of her and the taste of her... She was perfect beyond words.

Shepard broke free from the kiss and pressed her full lips against his neck instead. She trailed hot kisses down his body. Her lips pressed against every inch of the large scar on his chest, on the spots where his nipples would have been if he was human, down the faintly visible abdominal muscles (he recalled that she had referred to them as 'abs') and on the soft, pale skin just above his groin. He knew where this was going.

Fellatio wasn't something he had ever heard of before he entered a relationship with Shepard. Of course, he wasn't too experienced in the sex department. While he and Irikah had a healthy sex life, it had been quite tame. With Shepard, it was exciting.

The thoughts of how exciting their sex life was washed away from Thane's mind as Shepard took him in her mouth. His eyes drifted shut and a gasp escaped him. It took all of his self control to not buck his hips. Even though Shepard had assured him that she liked doing this for him, he couldn't believe that it was even remotely nice for her and he wouldn't add to it by nearly choking her.

It didn't take long before Thane felt the familiar heat in the pit of his stomach and his hands clenched into fists as his back arched off the bed. A strangled moan of pleasure came from him moments before he climaxed. Momentarily, he forget where he was, who he was with and what they were doing. There was just a hot, red, burning pleasure.

When he came down from his fantastic climax, Shepard was resting her cheek on the inside of his thigh. Her large, green eyes were looking at him with simple, pure love and her lips were shining. With his chest still heaving, Thane reached down and caressed her cheek. His siha grabbed his wrist and gave his palm a quick kiss before standing up.

"I'm going to have a shower." With a smile, she pulled off her shirt and threw it in his face.

Thane followed her with his gaze until the bathroom door slid shut behind her. Once it had done, he fell back against the pillows and just smiled up at the skylight.

* * *

Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to start the day by giving Thane a blowjob. Normally, Shepard didn't get intense side effects from having sex with Thane. Sometimes, she'd simply feel like the colours in the ship were brighter. Once or twice, she'd seen one of her fish swim across the mess hall. It had never been anything worse than that.

Today was different. Perhaps it was because of the lack of sleep, perhaps it was because of something else. But she was seeing some seriously strange shit. Like, a face in the kitchen bench or small vorcha on the breadbasket. It wasn't bad enough to interfere with her duty, but it was still annoying. Looking down into her coffee, she saw a vortex form there, seemingly out of nothing. It caused her to tilt her head and stare in disbelief.

"Are you alright, Shepard?" Steve asked from the other side of the table and there was a frown in his voice.

"Huh?" Shepard dragged her eyes from the intricate pattern that had replaced the vortex. "Yeah."

"You sure?" It was obvious that Steve didn't believe her. "Perhaps you should take the day off today. You've just defeated another reaper."

"I'm fine, Steve." Shepard smiled what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

"If you say so." He shrugged and sipped his coffee. "But I still think you should rest a bit."

Luckily, Tali chose this moment to arrive and interrupt Steve from continuing to pester her about her health. It was great to have Tali back on board. She was definitely one of Shepard's favourite people, along with Thane and Garrus. Today, however, the patterns on her hood were swirling around, making Shepard feel slightly nauseous. Yeah, giving Thane a blowjob that early in the morning wasn't a good idea at all.

"Hello Shepard." The qurian said cheerily. "Can I sit?"

"Of course, Tali." Shepard pulled out the chair next to her. "How're you settling in?"

"It's the same ship, Shepard. Just with nicer people." There was a smile in her voice. "And I'm happy Thane's back. I'm guessing you are as well."

"It's certainly nice to be back on the ship. Being confined to a hospital bed was more than frustrating."

Tali, Steve and Shepard jumped a bit at the sudden voice. Though Thane had assured her that he wasn't intentionally sneaking up on people, Shepard was really beginning to doubt that. She was certain he got some kind of sadistic joy out of nearly giving people a heart attack. Douche.

"Not okay." Shepard scolded and turned to him.

She froze as her gaze fell on him. He was, well, sparkling. As if he was a character in a comic book, small, green, star-like sparkles were scattered around his body. It was quite a funny scene, actually. He quirked his eyebrow at the confused look on her face.

"Are you well, siha?" He asked gently.

"Yup." Shepard assured and forced herself to meet his eyes.

He scanned over her and a knowing smirk appeared on his lips. Looking around the room, he leaned forward to press his lips against hers.

"Perhaps your actions this morning weren't the best way to start the day." His voice was so quiet that the others couldn't hear him.

"Oh, shush." Shepard blushed.


	6. Quick update

_**Quick update!**_

 _I've been really unhappy with some of the chapters I've posted in this story so far and I've now deleted them._

 _I'm also taking a small break from writing, since I've lost my mojo a bit..._

 _Thanks for understanding!_


	7. MOVING

**I'M MOVING EVERYTHING TO UNDER THE USERNAME _THEREX_**

Thank you so much for all your wonderful reviews, favourites and follows. Hope to see you on archiveofourown


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